Unlucky in Lust
by Lovely White Violets
Summary: A job that Lina and Gourry have taken on gets... complicated when one of them is hit with a lust spell. LG. Chapter 2: What happened a few weeks ago.
1. Chapter 1

Genre: Romance

Pairing: Lina x Gourry

Summary: A job that Lina and Gourry have taken on gets... complicated when one of them is hit with a lust spell. LG.

Disclaimer: I don't own Slayers.

Author's Notes: I always find that I'm most inspired to write fanfiction when I have a looming deadline at work, so during a particularly stressful week, this popped into my head. I was going to post this during my birthday week, but life got in the way, so I tried to make a good showing for slayersweek.

 **Unlucky in Lust  
** Chapter 1

It was all Lina could do to keep from tearing her hair out.

She was tired, she was bored, and worst of all, she was hungry.

Their latest misadventure was a job they'd taken from the Sorcerer's Guild in a small town at the edge of Seyruun that had them chasing down the rogue sorceress Circe. The Guild hadn't been very forthcoming with the details, but Lina heard that Circe concocted 'strange' potions and that she'd somehow 'damaged' the local lord's son, which was why the Guild had been ordered to take her down for good.

Of course, no one had been able to catch Circe since she'd fled her shop in town. Lina and Gourry weren't the first adventurers to go after her, but they'd been warned by the bounty hunters who'd come back intact that Circe was neither easy to find or defeat. Thanks to the reports from the villagers, Lina had been able to narrow down where Circe had gone, but they were now on day seven of their search and had yet to run into any evidence of her.

Which wasn't helping Lina's temper any.

"Stupid woods… stupid job… stupid witch!" Lina muttered.

"Hey, relax…" Gourry said. He reached out a hand as if to put it on her head then seemed to think better of it, letting it drop. "We've got to be close by now."

"Yeah… There's no other way she could've gone," Lina reasoned. "The path north is closed because of the early snow, and the road to the west is part of Seyruun's Royal Road. A wanted woman like Circe couldn't have gone anywhere but east."

"Exactly. We'll find her," Gourry said amiably. Then with a smile, "No one outwits Lina Inverse."

Lina wondered how he could be so patient with her. Before this job, things between them had become... strained, to say the least. Part of it was their recent travel which had _maybe been sort of_ her fault if you were of the opinion that mixing up the words 'mountain trail' and 'mountain vale' in an ancient tome and inadvertently making your bodyguard brave an icy cliff face for no reason at all was cause for blame.

The other part of it was... _No_. Lina was most definitely _not_ going to think about _that_ , but she did wonder if she ought to treat Gourry better. She wanted things between them to go back to normal but didn't know how. Maybe after they turned Circe in and were flush with coin again, she'd treat him to a meal… or, thinking of how much he ate, maybe just dessert. That seemed reasonable. She didn't want him to think she was fond of him or anything.

She was counting just how many servings of dessert was fair—no one took advantage of Lina Inverse after all—when Gourry stopped, his hand going out to keep her from walking any further.

His instincts hadn't been wrong. She saw the slight glimmer of a spell on the ground in front of them, the magical equivalent of a trap. Lina tossed a small stone onto the snare, and the air around them warmed.

"Move it!" Lina yelled, recognizing the the runes that had started glowing on the path, and she and Gourry leapt apart as a fireball bloomed from the trap.

Wordlessly, they came back together again, and a figure stepped into the middle of the road.

The wanted poster, Lina mused, hadn't done Circe justice. Tall, beautiful, and curvy in all the right places, she was the kind of woman Lina was immediately jealous of. It didn't help that she kind of looked like Sylphiel with her waves of coal black hair and eyes the color of emeralds. But there was a cruel twist to her smile the priestess would never carry.

"I see you've sprung my trap," Circe said, arms crossed.

"Circe, on behalf of the Sorcerer's Guild, we're here to apprehend you," Lina announced. "I suggest you come quietly or—"

Circe groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Let me guess. You'll take me by force?" she asked. "Trust me, I've gotten rid of every hero and justice freak who's come after me. I'm not about to let some overgrown kid take me in…"

"Kid? Come on, I'm nearly twenty!" Lina said, her hand flying to her admittedly still underdeveloped assets. "Well, maybe I'm still short for my age…"

But Circe wasn't even paying attention. She'd gotten one look at Gourry, and her smile turned all charm. "Now you on the other hand can take me anywhere you want."

Before Gourry could open his dumb mouth, Lina stepped in. "Forget it, Circe. We're taking you in."

"That's where you're wrong," Circe said. "Dark mist!"

And everything went, predictably, dark.

* * *

"Lina!" Gourry shouted as the darkness swallowed her whole. He sprung forward, prepared to plunge into the mist when he heard leaves rustle behind him.

He turned, sword ready, but didn't quite make it.

"Shadow snap!"

Gourry tried to fight the spell, but it held him fast. Circe alighted next to him, a smirk on her face.

"Aren't you handsome?" Circe said, stepping forward to run a finger in a line down the front of his breastplate. "I don't make this offer to just anyone, but I could use a man of your _talent_." She leaned in, her breath warm on his ear, her hand closing around his forearm. "Ditch her, and I'll make it _worth_ _your while_ …"

Gourry exercised the only muscles he could control and just glared at her.

"Not interested, huh?" Circe asked sweetly. She drummed her fingers thoughtfully against the side of her face as if thinking. "No matter… it doesn't have to be a _choice_ …"

She reached into a bag at her hip, drawing a small pouch out. Opening it, she upturned a fine silvery dust in her hand and blew it in his face. Gourry flinched and shut his eyes as it hit. Pain lanced through his body and was quickly replaced with heat. Circe took the opportunity to grip the bottom of his chin.

"Open your eyes," Circe was saying, forcing his head down to look at her, "and we'll see just how much fun we can have together…"

"Flare arrow!"

The glade they were standing in burst into flames, the illumination from the fire freeing Gourry's shadow and dispelling the dark cloud, revealing a very pissed-off Lina. Circe cursed as she jumped to dodge the next volley while Gourry fell back to the ground.

Lina ran to Gourry's side. "Are you okay? What did she do to you?"

"I don't know," Gourry said, eyes still closed. He experimentally opened them, blinking once then twice.

"Look at me," Lina commanded, and he did.

She could tell something was wrong. His pupils were wide, and he felt very warm like he was feverish. Lina knew there were powders that had unnatural effects on people, but drugs and draughts had never been her forte. She was entirely out of her depth.

"Lina, I feel…" Gourry said, then he closed his eyes again and collapsed.

"Gourry!" Lina said, but she didn't get farther than that. "Windy shield!" she cast blindly behind her and was satisfied to see Circe's feeble attempt at a fireball whip harmlessly against it.

"What did you do to him?" Lina demanded of the other sorceress when the spells diffused. "If you don't tell me right now, I swear you'll regret it."

"It's a spell I fashioned. Very special," Circe said. "It's one part blind obsession, one part utter devotion, and three parts a certain, shall we say, _appetite_."

Lina ground her teeth. She had no patience for this. "Obsession? Devotion? Did you put him under a love spell?"

"Ha, no. Love has little to do with it," Circe said.

"What does that even—" Lina's heart twisted in her chest, weighing her down as she put the pieces together. "A _lust_ spell? You threw a lust spell on him?!"

"Not that it matters," Circe said, her mouth pursing angrily. "He saw you first, didn't he? Lucky you."

Lina felt her breath catch. "No…"

"What's the problem?" Circe asked. "I thought you were _together_ …"

Unbidden, Lina immediately thought back to a month ago, the night of Amelia's eighteenth birthday, when she and Gourry… when they had almost… Lina shut her eyes against that image.

No, she and Gourry weren't together. She definitely didn't want Circe to know that, but her silence gave her away.

"So it's not like that then… but I can tell that's what you desire," Circe said with a laugh that made Lina's blood boil. "Does he not love you? Perhaps you should thank me. When he wakes up, he's going to want you desperately…"

Lina's answer was to rend the earth under Circe's feet apart. The other sorceress jumped away.

"Undo this!" Lina shouted.

"I can't," Circe said, smugly. "And don't bother with Recovery and Dicleary. I'm no third-rate hack. My potions stick."

"Not 'third-rate', my ass!" Lina shot back. "If you don't know how to undo your own creations, you have no idea what you're doing. Of all the idiotic, _stupid_ —"

"No one's ever _asked_ for an antidote… not that I've ever stayed in one place long enough to deal with returns," Circe retorted. "The only way to get rid of that spell is to let it, ah, run its course. Otherwise…"

" _What_?" Lina prompted. She took a step towards Circe, anger radiating off her in waves of magic so powerful that the other sorceress took a wary step back.

"Otherwise, it'll eat away at him. The more you resist, the more he'll want you. It's one of my finest potions," Circe said. "I ought to charge you."

"I ought to Dragon Slave you off the face of the earth…" Lina spat back.

"I don't think you will," Circe said, looking over Lina's shoulder.

Behind her, Gourry groaned, coming to. If what Circe said was true…

"Who do you take care of first? Me or him?"

Lina didn't hesitate.

"Sleeping!" Lina said, pivoting away from Circe and touching her fingers to Gourry's forehead. He fell forward, and she caught him, a Levitation spell making him weightless in her arms.

By the time Lina looked back, Circe was gone.

* * *

It took some doing, but Lina managed to get them back to the nearest town and checked into a room at an inn. Maneuvering Gourry over the bed, she released the Levitation spell she'd been holding all day. That done, she sank into a chair, exhausted.

What the hell was she going to do?

Lina believed Circe's claims that the spell couldn't be lifted. The first thing she'd done was take Gourry to a healer after all. She was sure her face was bright red from explaining the situation they'd gotten themselves into. But the visit hadn't done any good. No matter how many spells the healer had tried on Gourry, none of them had cured the slight fever he'd had all afternoon. As far as she knew, that meant he was still under the effect of Circe's enchantment.

Lina glanced uneasily at Gourry, who lay there peacefully enough. Her sleeping spell would wear off in a few minutes, and then she'd be stuck with a guy under the influence of a lust spell that no one could cure.

Of course that technically wasn't true, was it?

If Circe was right, Lina was the only person who _could_ cure it… if she didn't mind throwing away whatever the hell it was she and Gourry had for sex. While she'd actually kind of reconciled herself to her feelings for him, she knew one thing for sure...

He didn't want her.

He'd made that clear, hadn't he?

She covered her face with her hands in embarrassment, remembering just how stupidly she'd acted that night in the palace a few weeks ago...


	2. Chapter 2

Genre: Romance

Pairing: Lina x Gourry

Summary: A job that Lina and Gourry have taken on gets... complicated when one of them is hit with a lust spell. LG.

Disclaimer: I don't own Slayers.

Author's Notes: As is the writer's quandary, I wasn't entirely happy with this chapter when I wrote it and postponed posting it. Then I experienced a significant life event (read: a baby), and now I don't have time to think much less revise, so I thought I'd post this just in time for the holidays! This chapter still doesn't live up to its mature rating, something I'll hopefully correct in chapter 3? But no promises.

Anyway, I originally wrote this fic during my birthday week, per my author's note of the previous chapter. And it having been my birthday week, I wanted to write about a birthday! Of course, originally the Amelia scene was only going to be a brief page-long memory, but then Amelia and Lina got to talking, and this entire thing just morphed into something that definitely doesn't pass the Bechdel test and most definitely was super fun to write. In other words, my plot is just interrupted by an interlude about dresses. I would be sorry except I'm not because it made my girly author's heart sing.

 **Unlucky in Lust  
**

Chapter 2 **  
**

 _A few weeks ago…_

"Happy birthday, Amelia!" Lina said, popping her head through the double doors leading into the princess's suite. She braced as Seyruun's princess upended her vanity chair to jump up and catch Lina in a Mazoku-crushing hug. "Oof."

"You're here! It's been too long… like what, a year?"

"About ten months or so," Lina said. Then, taking a better look at her friend, she grimaced. "Amelia, did you get _taller_?"

"I may have sprung up an inch or two since we last saw each other…"

"Uh-huh," Lina said with a frown. "I liked you better when you were short."

"I'm sure you'll catch up!" Amelia said cheerfully.

"I haven't grown a bit since I was fifteen," Lina groused. "But never mind. It's not about me. It's your birthday! When does the party start?"

"You mean, when does dinner get served?"

"You know me too well," Lina said on a laugh.

"Not for a couple hours yet… come on, I'll feed you," Amelia said. Lina let herself be ushered to a sofa where Amelia offered her a cup of tea from the service on the side table. Lina wasted no time polishing off a plate of the accompanying sandwiches.

"It really is good to see you," Amelia said, as Lina dug in. "I'm so glad you're here. I wasn't sure when or _where_ you'd get the invitation…"

"You know I'd never dream of missing your birthday," Lina said. Then, with a wink, "...or your engagement."

Amelia's smile immediately turned coy. "Engagement? I have no idea what you're talking about."

"So the rumors about Prince Phil sending your _bodyguard_ out on diplomatic missions abroad aren't true? Because I don't think Zelgadis signed up to be a Seyruun ambassador…"

"Maybe he was a born politician," Amelia said with a delicate shrug.

"Or perhaps King Phil's trying to get foreign royalty used to the idea that our dear Zel might one day become part of the family…" Lina said. "Has he proposed?"

Amelia picked up her tea, her face all innocence. "Has Mr. Gourry?"

The comment had Lina choke on the sandwich she'd bitten into, and she hurried to put it down. "Gourry and I are the same as always."

"Oh."

"And I like it that way," Lina added.

"Uh-huh."

"What's with that reaction?" Lina asked, her eyes narrowing. But Amelia didn't even look phased by a patented death-glare from the Dramata herself. Lina would have been impressed if the princess' stare didn't make the spot between her shoulder blades itch.

"Well..." Amelia hesitated, chewing her lip. Then she seemed to decide herself. "You two obviously care about each other. I just thought after all this time…"

"He's my guardian, Amelia," Lina reminded her.

"Don't _you_ start using that line," Amelia said. "Mr. Gourry's been using that as an excuse ever since he met you. Don't you want more? Doesn't he?"

"He doesn't act like it," Lina said, and suddenly wondered why she was bothering with the subject. She and Gourry had been together… well, longer than she cared to think about. "Hey, you didn't answer my question. Is Zel finally going to make his move?"

"Hmm, he hasn't said anything, but..." Amelia trailed off, but her eyes went starry. "I know in my heart it's happening soon."

"That must be why your dress looks suspiciously like a wedding gown," Lina observed. She nodded at the billowy white ball gown that hung on a hanger nearby. It was trimmed with pearls and diamond-studded lace, and even Lina couldn't help but sigh and think about how bridal it looked. "I thought you usually wear pink."

"I do, but… I'm eighteen now. I'm grown up," Amelia said. "I might even get engaged tonight. And one must always dress for the occasion, don't you think?"

"Who the hell said that?"

"My seamstress," Amelia said. "What are _you_ wearing?"

Lina shrugged in between a bite of a cookie she'd unearthed. "I have a dress. Somewhere."

" _Lina_ …" Amelia said, eyeing her friend's traveling clothes. "It's my birthday. You have to wear something nice. I insist."

"As much as I'd like to, I'm fresh out of fancy gowns. Don't get much use for them on the road…"

"Oh!" Amelia clapped her hands, joyfully. "You can borrow one of mine!"

"Uh…" Lina looked from her own body to Amelia's and felt her stomach twist in a knot. "No offense, but we're not exactly the same size…"

"My seamstress can fix it. She's a miracle-worker, I swear. And there's still time," Amelia said. She walked to her closet, thoughtfully looking through it. "Besides, maybe tonight's the night."

"For?"

"Romance!" Amelia said, taking out an orange dress and twirling it around. She wrinkled her nose. "I don't think this will do at all."

"Wait," Lina said, dodging a lime green gown Amelia tossed in her direction. "When you say 'romance', you mean…"

"Me and Zelgadis."

Lina relaxed just a hair, and then Amelia plunged on.

"And you and Mr. Gourry," Amelia said. "Lina, if Zelgadis can stop looking for his cure to be with me, then you two can stop dancing around each other and finally be together!"

"Uh… Gourry and I _aren't_ like that…"

"That much is clear," Amelia said with a snort.

"Look, Amelia," Lina said, "Don't you think if there was anything between us, Gourry would've done something about it by now?"

"No."

Lina opened her mouth, closed it. "What? Why not?"

"He loves you, Lina. He's never said so because you've never tried to tell him or show him… or at least I don't _think_ you have."

Lina was pretty sure she was being insulted, but she was at a loss as to what to do about it. It must have been love that made the princess so bold. Lina was pretty sure she would have Fireballed Amelia for saying less a couple years ago.

Maybe Lina had mellowed out. Or maybe they'd both grown up. Or maybe Amelia's impending engagement reminded Lina that she _had_ been traveling with Gourry for over three years, and he hadn't bothered to confess his undying love for her.

If that's how he even felt at all.

Amelia may have been convinced of the swordsman's affections, but Lina was not.

"That's a dumb reason," Lina muttered. "He's not saying anything because I haven't said anything?"

"Yeah," Amelia said, considering a fluffy lavender gown that she set aside. "He's waiting for you to make the first move."

That was an unsettling thought. Lina knew all about magic. She knew distressingly little about love.

"How can you be sure?"

"I can't," Amelia said. "But surely someone who's defeated Shabranigdu and is a beautiful sorcerer genius to boot can take a chance and lay her heart on the line?"

Because Amelia's aim was a little too true, Lina shrugged uncomfortably and said, "You've been reading too many romance novels."

Amelia paused in her search for the perfect dress to level a look at Lina. "I told Zelgadis I loved him first," she said, "and I've never regretted it."

Lina really didn't know what to say in the face of her friend's absolute conviction. But then Amelia turned, a triumphant look on her face.

"Found it!" Amelia crowed. She pulled a hanger out, showing off a gown the color of a deep red wine with thin straps.

Lina gulped. "Isn't that a little..."

"Romantic?" Amelia asked.

" _Cold_ ," Lina said, eyeing the low v-neckline and even lower back. "There's no way that's going to fit me…"

"It won't be cold in the ballroom. As for fit, this was small on me to begin with. We'll shorten the straps and bring in the bodice, and it'll fit fine. I know it's not your usual style, but you're going to look amazing," Amelia said. "It would definitely make Mr. Gourry pay attention…"

"Now why would I want him to do that?" Lina asked faintly.

Amelia gave a little shrug. "No reason. You know, Miss Sylphiel is in town and will be coming to the ball tonight as well…"

"Give me the dress," Lina demanded, reaching for it. "But if it doesn't look good, I'm taking it off."

"All right," Amelia said, wisely hiding her grin of triumph.

Three hours later, Lina arrived at the party in a gown she had no business wearing. It was exactly as low cut as she had feared, and between it, the velvet black gloves, and the gold heels Amelia had pressed on her, Lina felt silly. She was sure she was going to trip and give the world a show they'd never forget. Dramata, indeed. Ugh.

"More like 'dramatic'," Amelia quipped as they entered the ballroom. "You look amazing. If i do say so myself."

"You'd have to for all the instructions you gave the seamstress and stylist."

"With great result!" Amelia said, reaching up to adjust the gold and ruby clip pinning Lina's curls up. "Now go find Gourry."

"I'll find Gourry after I've eaten half of that buffet table," Lina said. She nudged Amelia affectionately. " _You_ find Zelgadis. I want to know the minute he asks."

"You'll be the first," Amelia promised, giving Lina's hand a squeeze. "Have _fun_."

As the princess danced off, Lina scanned the crowd. She told herself it was less like she wanted Gourry to see her in this getup, and more like she wanted to stop him from getting ahead of her in the line for food, otherwise she'd never get a bite in edge-wise.

Yep. That was it.

She was just about to move to another room when the crowd parted, and she saw Gourry, a head above everyone… with Sylphiel. Since her hearing was amazing, she could just make out their conversation from where she stood.

"...traveling must be tiresome after awhile. Do you think you might ever settle down?" Sylphiel was asking.

Gourry shrugged. "No, I don't think so. I enjoy seeing the world. I can't imagine what it'd be like to stay in one place."

"Ah well, the road always beckons, doesn't it? If it ever leads you to Sairaag, please visit me," Sylphiel said. "I'd love to cook for you."

"Yeah, you know I always look forward to your food…"

Lina found herself rolling her eyes. Weren't they cute? They made a pretty picture, too—Gourry, heartbreakingly handsome in a well-fitted tunic trimmed with gold and Sylphiel, striking in a demure gown that flared at the waist and made her look elegant and graceful. The two of them were perfectly framed in an archway, their heads bent close… and for Ceiphied's sake, were they color-coordinated?

Lina had half a mind to just turn around right now when Gourry caught her eye and waved. Lina started over, but not before drinking the last of her wine. Trying to glide as gracefully as Amelia, she strode up to them.

"Gourry. You clean up nice," Lina said, trying for nonchalant.

She was surprised when she caught Gourry actually giving her the once-over.

"Lina, you…" he said in a strange way, and her heart tripped in her chest.

Could Amelia be right? All this time, he didn't see her as a troublemaker to protect or worse, his little sister, but as something more? Maybe he really was waiting for a sign from her. She clutched her empty wine glass, wishing she hadn't drank it so fast. She was feeling a little light-headed.

"You're… wearing a dress."

 _That_ was his big announcement? She could have throttled him.

"Really strained your brain for that one, didn't you, Jellyfish Brains?" Lina growled.

"I'm just not used to seeing you in one. It's strange," he said.

"I am a girl, you know," she said, crossing her arms indignantly. "I _wear_ dresses. I even own one."

"Yeah. _One_ dress. That I've only seen you put on when you're trying to sneak out of a town because you've incited a mob."

"That was only once or twice," Lina protested. "Dresses are incredibly impractical. No normal girl fights bandits in a dress."

"I don't think normal girls really fight bandits at all," Gourry said, and Lina fumed. She traded her empty goblet for another glass of wine from a passing attendant and sipped it to keep herself from slapping him.

"Umm," Sylphiel said beside them, and they both turned to look at her.

"Hey," Lina said, chagrined that she'd forgotten all about the priestess. "How are you doing, Sylphiel?"

"Very well," Sylphiel said with a wry smile. "It's good to see you both again. I was just catching up with dear Gourry… It seems like I rarely get to talk to either of you when there's not a bounty on your head or a Mazoku at your back."

Lina laughed. "Yeah, it's a real treat, trust me. What brings you to Seyruun?"

"Some business, but mostly I couldn't miss Amelia's birthday party, could I?" Sylphiel said. She bit her lip, looking from Lina to Gourry, then sighed. "Speaking of, I see her over there. If you'll excuse me, I should give her my best before it gets too late."

She gave Gourry a weak smile, bowed her head, and weaved her way through the crowd. Lina saw him throw a wistful look at the priestess's back and felt stupid all over again. Why had she let Amelia talk her into this?

She must have been frowning because Gourry asked, "Lina, are you okay?"

"Just fine," she said, trying think of something else to talk about, anything else really, to focus the conversation on not her.

But she got nothing.

She took the last sip of her wine and plucked another goblet off a tray to keep her hands busy.

When was the last time she'd had an awkward silence with Gourry? She couldn't remember. They had traveled together for years now. She knew all these little things about him like how long he liked to wear his hair or all about his aversion to bell peppers or what his soap smelled like. So why the hell couldn't she think of anything to say? It was probably all the dumb crap Amelia had planted into her head about confessing and love and romance.

She was about to resort to chaos words out of sheer desperation when Gourry spoke.

"So is there something going on between Amelia and Zel? They're wearing matching outfits," he asked, and Lina laughed, feeling herself relax. She could always count on him to say something completely dumbfounding.

"They're going to make an announcement tonight," Lina explained.

"About?"

"Gourry, get a clue!" Lina said. "Ugh, nevermind. I'll tell you later. Let's go eat!"

The rest of the night went better. Between eating, catching up with old friends, drinking, and eating again, Lina forgot to be awkward, and by the time the clock struck midnight and Amelia and Zelgadis finally announced their engagement to the applause of the entire ballroom, she was feeling exuberant and was in no mood to stop the party.

By that point, it had gotten unbearably hot inside, so she and Gourry had gone out to the gardens for some fresh air where she'd promptly laid down on the grass and closed her eyes, enjoying the light breeze on her face and the knowledge that Gourry was close by.

"Ahhh," she said as she stretched on the grass.

"You look comfortable," Gourry said.

"Yeah, I am," Lina said. "You know, I have to say this is kind of nice. We're on the road so much, it's refreshing to stay in one place and relax…"

"Don't tell me you're actually wanting to settle down," Gourry said with a snort.

Lina grinned. "What would you say if I did want to? Right now. Right here in Seyruun."

The thought was so funny she nearly laughed aloud. She was vaguely aware Gourry was saying something, but her brain was too busy running through the logistics of making a life in Seyruun. A part of her had always thought she might move back to her hometown when her traveling days were over, but she could see herself being happy here.

It was a big city full of opportunity. She could make money by taking odd jobs for variety, or if that lost its appeal, she could always take a position at the Sorcerer's Guild studying magic. Of course, there was always starting her own store for magical artifacts, though after years of helping her parents with their business, that option was currently dead last. But where would she live? Would she and Gourry be able to afford somewhere near the capitol?

Her eyes popped open. She must've gone temporarily insane. Had she really envisioned buying a house with Gourry? She felt a blush spread across her face, and she turned to face away from him, focusing on an oak tree in the distance.

"Lina?" Gourry asked. "What're you thinking?"

"It's nothing really," she said, scrambling to come up with something that wasn't house-hunting in Seyruun. "It's just there was a forest near my home in Zephilia, and my favorite spot to play was near a gigantic oak tree. Sis and I used to race to it from our house…"

"Did you win?"

"Nah," Lina said. "I didn't stand a chance. She's older than me… and kinda blessed by the gods. But that didn't stop me from trying."

"That doesn't surprise me."

"What do you mean?"

"You're the kind of person who likes a challenge. Even if you know you're going to lose."

"Mm," Lina said. Then an idea came to her. "Want to race?"

Gourry laughed. "What? You are in no condition to run."

"Coward," Lina said, kicking off her heels and standing. "You can't take me."

"Fine. Let's do it."

"First one to that tree over there wins," she said. Then, "Go!"

"No fair!" he yelled behind her. She ran as fast as she could, but it was hard in her skirts and on the grass. She frowned when he overtook her. "Cheater!"

"I'm not cheating, I'm winning!" Gourry said, looking back.

Well, if that was how he was going to play it… She Ray Winged, launching herself at him.

Admittedly, it was not her brightest idea. Her tackle took him down, and they rolled together before coming to a stop in the soft grass with her landing on top.

"Ow," he said. "Don't you think that was a bit much?"

"I won," she said simply.

"No, you didn't."

"Look, we made it to the oak tree," she said, pointing to the tree next to them. "And I'm on top, so I win."

Gourry immediately rolled over, sending her toppling to the side, but his boot got itself caught in the folds of her gown, and the next few minutes had her laughing while they did a horrible job of untangling themselves.

"Stop moving! You're making it worse!" she cried.

He stilled, and Lina stopped laughing, stunned to find herself on her back in the grass with Gourry above her. The moon and stars were bright behind him, and when their eyes met, she felt her heart flip in her chest with the reckless and certain realization that she was in love.

 _He's waiting for you to make the first move_ , she thought, an echo of Amelia's words, and throwing caution to the wind, she tilted her head up and kissed him.

She'd never really kissed anyone before, so she didn't know what it was supposed to be like. It was… nice, but it was nothing to wax poetic over. She nearly pulled away, wondering if she was doing something wrong… and then she shifted ever so slightly, and his lips parted, and now incredible heat raced down her body, pushing the kiss from something static to something entirely new in less time than it took for her to cast a Light spell.

Her head was definitely spinning now, and she warm all over. She couldn't think as her breath came short, and her hands clutched at the fabric of his jacket. His hair brushed her cheek, and she wondered how it'd feel between her fingers, but before she could do anything to indulge in it, he scrambled off her.

The air that hit her face in his absence was cool. She slowly opened her eyes, blinking against the unwelcome sensation.

"Lina, we can't do this," Gourry said when she sat up.

"We can't?" she said. She watched Gourry, who was normally quite graceful, trip over himself trying to get to his feet. Really, he couldn't get away from her fast enough.

"It's… not appropriate," Gourry said.

"Not appropriate?" she echoed, getting to her feet. The heady rush from the kiss had now turned to a dull throbbing ache at her temples as she tried to understand what he was saying.

"What I mean is… we shouldn't, I mean… we don't want to do something we'll regret in the morning…"

"Regret?" she repeated again and cursed. She sounded like an idiot, and she hated sounding like an idiot. She forced herself to finally take a good look at Gourry. His face was red with embarrassment, and he was looking anywhere but at her, and… and she finally understood.

He didn't feel the same way.

That's what all the excuses were about. That's why he was talking about stopping and using words like 'can't' and 'regret'. Thinking back, she couldn't even remember if he'd kissed her back.

"Lina…" Gourry said in the silence, and Lina realized she didn't want to hear it.

This entire night was ridiculous. She knew she'd make a complete and total fool of herself! She could feel herself practically vibrate with anger as she rounded on him. "No, you're right, Gourry. I get it. This was a mistake."

His eyes widened. "I wouldn't call it a mistake…"

"Call it whatever you want."

She turned and stalked quickly across the grass, ignoring the heels she'd left there, ignoring that her her gown was now too long for her, and just wanting to get back to the castle as soon as possible.

"Lina, wait!" he called.

She only quickened her pace, forcing him to run to keep up with her. She'd nearly gotten to the stairs leading up to the palace balcony when he grabbed her arm. She looked back, careful not to meet his eyes, unable to deal with whatever rejection she was going to read in them...

"Lina," he began, but she cut him off.

"It's fine, Gourry. I don't know what happened back there, but let's just forget it. Okay? _Good night_."

She wrenched her arm away, but too quickly. Any satisfaction she got from her dramatic goodbye was foiled as she overbalanced, her skirts tripping her and her head striking the edge of the stair before she could catch herself. The last thing she saw was a blur of lights as she went down… and everything went black.

* * *

When Lina opened her eyes, it was morning, she was lying in her bed in her room, and her head ached something awful.

"Miss Lina, you're awake!"

"Keep it down, Amelia," Lina groaned as Amelia came into her vision, eyes full of concern. "What happened?"

"You slipped and hit your head."

"Ugh, it must've been a pretty bad fall."

"Actually, it knocked you out, but that was the worst of it. A healing spell took care of the bump," Amelia said. "I think what you're suffering from right now is a good old-fashioned hangover."

Lina closed her eyes. "A hangover."

"Yeah, it's probably why you tripped in the first place," Amelia said.

"I blame the dress for that."

"But you looked beautiful. I'm sure I'm not the only one who noticed," Amelia said with a grin. "Did you and Gourry have a good time last night? I saw you two head out to the gardens..."

Amelia was looking at her so hopefully, Lina couldn't bear to tell her the awful truth. She was thankfully spared from answering when Gourry opened the door, holding a tray of breakfast.

"Ah, Mr. Gourry, perfect timing," Amelia said. "Breakfast should be the perfect cure for Miss Lina's hangover. I'll leave you two _alone._ "

She hopped off the chair she'd been perched on, and went to the door, winking behind Gourry's back at Lina as she did so. Lina was tempted to say something snide at her retreat, but Gourry set the tray down on her bed.

"Morning, sunshine," he said.

"Morning," she said.

"How's the head?"

"I'm okay."

"Are you sure? Thirty seconds into breakfast, you've usually finished your eggs."

Lina glanced down at the tray, laden with all her favorites, and felt her stomach turn. Well, wasn't this trip to Seyruun just filled with firsts? For once, she had no desire to eat.

"Okay. Maybe I'm not at a hundred percent," she said.

"Yeah. You did have quite a few glasses of wine."

"You were drinking too," she retorted.

"That's true."

"Yep."

Silence.

"So about last night…" Gourry said, and Lina braced herself. "How much do you remember?"

Even in its befuddled state, Lina's mind raced. She didn't even begin to know how to answer that question as dread, shame, and embarrassment flooded through her at the same time. How was she ever going to face him again day-in and day-out after this?

...The solution hit her quickly and suddenly. Last night, she'd tried to show him how she felt, and he hadn't been interested. She was afraid this would change everything between them, but… what if they could start over? She didn't have to remember last night, right? They could just chalk it up to the festivities and a faulty memory.

Things could go back to normal. Couldn't they?

Yeah, it would be fine.

More than fine.

Now that Lina knew how he felt, she never had to bring it up again. Maybe it hurt a little—all right, maybe it hurt a lot—that he didn't love her, but at least this way she wouldn't have messed everything up between them...

"To be honest," Lina said, the mantra 'fine, fine, fine' circling around in her head, "things got really fuzzy after midnight… I barely remember anything at all. I hope I didn't do something embarrassing?"

Somehow she mustered up just enough courage to lift her gaze to his face… but he was staring out the window.

"You know, I was hoping you'd be the one to tell me…" he said slowly, still not looking at her. "Because I forgot..."


End file.
